Butter is now back in the good books after years consigned to the naughty step. Recent reports show sales of butter – long ostracised for its links to heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity – are booming, while our taste for margarine is melting away.
A glance in the chiller cabinets of supermarkets and artisan dairies proves the point: there’s an abundant – some would say baffling – choice. English butters vie with packs from Italy, Ireland and Wales, while value-range versions compete with pricey butters made with cow, goat and buffalo milk, and even whey. For those who have long believed that butter makes everything better, the range is wonderful. But how do you choose?
In Britain, most butter is made from ''sweet’’ or pasteurised cream, to which salt and milk powder is sometimes added. French and Italian butters, on the other hand, are often made with cream containing bacterial culture, which gives them a fuller, riper flavour.
More on this story here.
Eddie
My daughter just said last night that she was so happy we had switched back to real butter. It tastes so much better and is better for us. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Eddie. I've reposted the link on the other place ;)
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat butter.
ReplyDeleteon this side of the pond, Irish butter is usually the first choice, because we're under the belief that the cows are mostly grass-fed. one American brand, Pastured (seasonal) Organic Valley is also good. my personal favorites are Plugra and Celles sur Belles, for their flavor. we also value old-world cheeses because we can depend on them being bgh-free!
ReplyDeleteI only buy butter, it must have butter on the label, anything less just will not do.
ReplyDeleteAnne
Tess, I think Kerrygold is an excellent butter and that is Irish.
ReplyDeleteSue
Butter, butter - it just doesn't come any better than butter!
ReplyDeleteOur number one choice is Kerrygold but it is one of the more expensive.
Best kept out of the fridge in a covered dish but extra care needs to be taken in warmer weather.
Thanks for all your comments - they are appreciated.
All the best Jan